Google Search

Slaven Bilic: ‘Last season was like playing West Ham home games at Manchester United’

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic revealed that his former team Beşiktaş did struggle at times playing two seasons without a stadium but that it made them all stronger.

Beşiktaş were essentially footballing nomads for two seasons and still are as the Vodafone Arena which is being constructed in place of the Inönü stadium has yet to be completed.

The Black Eagles were forced to play their home games all across Istanbul and even as far as Ankara and Konya.

“Sometimes we even played in Ankara it was like West Ham playing at the grounds of Manchester United we were taking flights every few days it really toughened us up mentally,” Bilic was quoted as saying by Sporx.

Beşiktaş did however, have the best away record last season and currently have the best form on the road in the Turkish Super League.

West Ham meanwhile have the second best away record in the Premier League and have managed to beat Liverpool and leaders Manchester City on the road.

Bilic guided Beşiktaş to the Europa League quarter-finals last season beating Liverpool and Tottenham along the way.